


The Coffee House

by Corina (CorinaLannister)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Distrust, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25364446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorinaLannister/pseuds/Corina
Summary: Draco is a struggling Barista and Harry is struggling with his fame. They start to trust each other over time when Harry visits the coffee shop Draco works in.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 20
Kudos: 119
Collections: Very Drarry Summer Vibes 2020





	The Coffee House

**Author's Note:**

  * For [false_heteros](https://archiveofourown.org/users/false_heteros/gifts).



> Thank you to my wonderful beta for helping to make this better in a short space of time. You helped me out immensely. Also, thank you for the great prompt. I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> This fic is part of the GWB summer Vibes gift exchange. If you'd like to spread the love, [ consider reblogging the tumblr reveal post!](https://triggerlil.tumblr.com/post/625980651034836992)

After the war Draco had wanted to start anew. He wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere and didn’t want to be judged on the actions of his family. Therefore, he did something unconventional for a Malfoy family member, he ventured out into the great unknown of the muggle world. Muggle London specifically. 

Draco even managed to get himself a job within their community. It was for something that he felt would hide him from view, it was at The Coffee House. To his credit he got a job after only his second interview. He did however confound the person who was interviewing him as he knew nothing about coffee or how a coffee shop worked. 

For a short while he was unrecognised and was treated well. He was treated without any of the reservation or contempt that he was met with in the wizarding community. However, that all changed the day someone from his year at Hogwarts showed up at the coffee shop when he was working. 

It was a Friday evening when he was first greeted with a sight he did not want to see. Draco remembers the exact day Potter walked into the shop. It was a rainy evening and he was the only one still working, as he was about to close up, when a bedraggled being had walked in dripping all over the floor. 

Potter hadn’t recognized him, or at least pretended not to recognize him, when he ordered, but Draco had noticed who he was. The scar was a dead giveaway; as were those hideous glasses. 

Draco had just finished putting all the chairs up onto the tables and mopping the floor when the little bell chimed, signalling that someone had entered the shop. A scowl formed on his face and he sighed loudly before squaring his shoulders and putting on his best 'customer service smile'. It was still a way off from being the usual smile people would expect to see but it was a sight better than when he started. Even if it was more sly than friendly. At least his lips no longer twitched with strain or irritation. It was late, he was tired and he had just cleaned up the place and now someone had come to sully it. The last thing he needed was a customer ten minutes before closing. What he wouldn't give just to tell him to get lost or maybe to cast a charm or little spell, that could really work wonders right about now.

“Welcome to The Coffee House,” Draco had stated whilst trying not to show any anger in his voice. He had walked round to the back of the counter before turning to face the customer. He was lucky he had finished speaking as the shock would have been noticeable in his voice. “What can I get for you?” he was looking at one of his classmates, one of the people he was trying to avoid. He had saved his life, but trust was a long way off. His position here at The Coffee House was now compromised and he would have to find somewhere else to go. Merlin’s Beard. Why did bad stuff always happen to him? 

“Just a latte please,” Potter replied, demurely wringing out his hat over the freshly mopped floor. Draco could not help but adorn his face with his usual sneer. Then, the order registered with Draco, it was simple, not something deserving of The Boy Who Lived. Draco raised his eyebrows at this, how come one of the members of The Golden Trio did not want a special whipped cream, no fat, no dairy, extra shot like some people ordered. He was certainly entitled to it.  
“Coming right up,” Draco responded and set to work so that he could school his facial expressions when turned away from Potter. He had forgotten all about using a memory charm to get rid of the last customer of the day. This visit had set him on edge. 

A few moments later Draco had handed off the coffee to him and payment was received with no hassle at all. He even got a “thank you” from Potter for his efforts. 

Draco thought that would be it, that he would never come back and that he would never see his school nemesis again. He also thought that his face would be plastered over the Daily Prophet with the words ‘Can he fall any further…the answer is yes’. 

At first Draco was worried about being recognised and outed to society again. He checked the following days paper and nothing, nothing the day after that either. Only a week later when Mr. Potter returned again, at the same time and the same day, did he realise that he had not been outed. His work was safe for now. 

Now, every Friday, just before closing, Potter would come into the shop without fail and order the same thing every week, like clockwork. ‘Just a latte, please’ his exact phrasing more or less the same too. By now they both knew who the other person was but they did not say so aloud. It would break the trust that had been brewing between them. 

The reason why they both were here was because they were looking for an escape from the real world. Draco because he was disliked and Potter because he was liked too much. They both learned that there were similarities between themselves. They were more alike than they thought. After a few weeks Potter had begun to come a little earlier and sit down for longer. 

About a month later, Potter had left a package on the table after he had finished his latte. There was no name or note but Draco assumed it was for him. He was the only one there after all. Draco eyed the package with disdain and thought Potter may have cursed it. Nothing good could come of accepting a gift from him anyway so he didn’t open it. The following week Potter came in with a genuine smile on his face like he was expecting some sort of praise. It was that night that they first spoke of anything but the coffee order. Apparently, that package had been a Birthday present which he was supposed to be grateful for. That night he rushed to open it, a charmed quill. Not what he needed but a conversation starter. Thinking back Draco thought that was one of the turning points in their relationship. One of the events that broke the ice and allowed them to converse. It was at this point that Draco no longer feared that he would be ousted by Potter. This was their safe haven now. 

Now, his favourite day of the week was a Friday and it was because of Potter. Today marked the one year anniversary since Potter had first come into the coffee shop so Draco wanted to make it special. Draco had flipped the open sign to closed a few hours before the shop was due to close, he wanted to make sure no customers walked in on him and Potter. He treasured his time with him far too much to allow that to happen. 

He had shrunk all of the tables but one which he levitated to the middle of the room. He had placed a white tablecloth onto the table and it looked a little more special than usual. There were also a couple of candles placed on it which he could light with a flick of his wand when Potter appeared. Now, all he had to do was wait. 

The waiting allowed him to think upon his time at Hogwarts and how poorly he had treated not just Potter but all Gryffindors. Especially to him and his closest friends. He was a disgrace. Yet, Potter had rescued him in the Room of Requirement despite all of that. He only had light inside him. He deserved everything, he deserved more than him. 

The bell chimed and a smile spread across his face as he stood to greet Potter. His expression was mirrored on Potter’s face. It warmed him inside. 

“Wow, you’ve changed the layout of the room. Looks better,” Potter observed. His head turned this way and that, taking in the larger space. 

“I did. This marks one year since you first visited this shop.” 

“Has it? Time flies.”

“It does. I remember when you came here. You were soaking wet and were dripping all over the floor which I had just mopped, “ Draco teased him. 

“And whose fault was that? Should have started cleaning later,” Potter teased him back. 

Both descended into light laughter as Draco pulled out a chair for Potter to sit in. Their relationship had evolved so much since their time at Hogwarts had ended. They had shared many evenings together in that coffee shop. Draco looked on as Potter sat in the chair he graciously offered. He looked like he was at home and Draco wanted him to look like that.  
“I’ll get your latte now,” Draco shuffled off behind the counter and made it with only the flourish a Malfoy could provide. He also made himself one, exactly the same, Potter had persuaded him that it was the best item from the menu. 

“Thanks. That was quick.” Potter stated when Draco placed it in front of him. The latte art, a quill this time, was perfection which was a far cry different from the first latte he ordered. Draco looked on as Potter stared into his cup a few seconds before his eyes lit up with recognition. “This was the item I gave you for your birthday!” Potter exclaimed having expected Draco to have forgotten all about the gift he had given him. It had been a while ago. 

“You’re welcome Harry,” Draco replied without thinking and it was like a spell was broken. Their anonymity was completely gone. The boundary they had unconsciously set had just been passed. Draco held his breath looking down at the table thinking he had just ruined everything. Now would be when his face was on the front of the Daily Prophet. His heart sunk and he nervously rang his hands underneath the table. 

“Draco, I’ve been waiting for you to say my name for so long,” Harry had reached one hand across the table and it looked like he wanted him to grasp it so he did. Their hands were now clasped together on top of the table. This was strange for them both but it felt right. “Honestly, Draco, I thought you had forgotten my name.”

“Watch it, Potter, I’m the one who makes you your lattes,” came the snide reply from Draco. 

“You know I don’t come here for the lattes anymore right?”

It was only a few short months later that Draco became front page news on The Daily Prophet but his was only one of two faces there.


End file.
